What I'm Loving Wednesday!

Im linking up with  adorable Jamie again this week for a little WILW! 

This week is pretty simple...Im LOVING that its holiday season! Hubs pointed out last night that he's super excited to be heading into our first holiday season as a Mr. and Mrs!  So am I! Im so excited to start new traditions and celebrate together! Living 3000 miles away from our families is tough this time of year but Im so so thankful for everything we have been blessed with out here in California. Yep, definitely lots to be thankful for this year.....

Just looking at these pictures makes me so so so happy!  My birthday has been on Thanksgiving a couple of times over the last 26 years so that makes it even more exciting! 

And just because it doesn't snow here, it doesn't mean we don't do holidays! 

Darn, now I have to go bake some cookies...all this holiday talk and all :) 

Top 2 Tuesday!

I love these T2T's! Im linking up with Taylor again this week for top 2 Halloween or fall crafts/decor/party ideas....so fun! 

For a fall dinner party, it's perfect to use squash and pumpkins for soup bowls! 

What an awesome centerpiece or table decoration! I love the different shapes and patterns

How cute are these being used as tea lights!

I love this! Its fall but a little different..( I have a thing for white pumpkins haha )

I always end up cheating because I can never choose just two!!! 

Have a great Tuesday!

Menu Monday!

Mondays are not my favorite days but the weather is picture perfect so that helps! We had a great weekend with lots of relaxing for me, cocktails with friends and unfortunately lots of work for J! He got a time sensitive client call on Friday at 5:20 pm! Who does that? When things like that happen apparently attorneys don't get weekends :(  But we compromised and while he worked last night, he ordered "Did you hear about the Morgans?" for me on demand..( he can't stand SJP but you know she's one of my favs..)

I seriously love menu planning for our weeks..its weird how much I like it. I also love spending forever in the grocery store...even though I love going with J, its better I go alone....I try to buy everything on Sunday then play it by ear depending on mood throughout the week...

Sooo thats what we have on tap in the kitchen! Hope everyone is having a great start to their weeks!

Happy Weekend!

I love the weekends! Hubby and I don't have a ton planned and thats just what we need!  Some errands, some football, some relaxing! Plus, it's really feeling like fall out here and I am really loving breaking out my riding boots!

  We are both meeting friends for happy hour drinks so I wanted to get something prepped for dinner before I headed out..( since I know after a glass or two of wine its better if I can just stick something in the oven when we get home!) I have been craving poppyseed chicken, like thinking about it all the time..funny thing is I've never had it!  I saw this recipe on Kelly's recipe blog and I just NEEDED to make it...please tell me that happens to someone else?
Plus, you tell me to crumble ritz crackers  and pour some butter on top and I'm sold. Good old fashioned comfort food!

Poppy seed chicken

2 or 3 chicken breasts, boiled and cut in small pieces
1 16 oz sour cream
2 cans cream of chicken
2 tbls of poppyseeds (I don't measure - I just shake a ton in)
Ritz crackers
1 stick of butter

Mix the first 4 ingredients and put in a baking dish. Cover with crushed up ritz crackers. Melt a stick of butter and pour on top. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350.

photo courtesy of Kelly's recipes...

PS. The adorable little boys across the street are running back and forth across their driveway howling like ghosts and pretending to ride on broomsticks.. glad we picked up some serious Halloween candy for trick or treating!

Obsessed.

 Warning! I am going through a BIG neutral phase. I want everything white, not boring, just white ( with some pops of color). Ask my poor husband, everything and I mean everything, we registered for was white. White dishes, white china, white towels and when we got to CA he bought me some white furniture. I think I have a problem. There was no color at our wedding except for the long black bridesmaid dresses. White flowers, linens, all white cake etc etc.  I swear it's not because I hate color or can't make decisions on color, I just find neutrals really calming and classic. Here are my latest obsessions....

designfabulous.com

I honestly die over this dining room.....

mabeslor.com

pink but still neutral

designfabulous.com

decorpad.com

kraftmaid kitchen

PS. I also believe you can NEVER have too many chandeliers...

Dreamy Whites

You must go here. She has such amazing style, has five kids, a cowboy husband and an all white house!

See what I mean? It's bad people, really bad :) 

Cleaning up and Cleaning out...

Shhhheeeeesh!

 I am embarrassed even writing this post hahah.. In our house we have two good size bedrooms both with closets built in and the master closet is really large (Not to mention 2 dressers in there as well)...now with all this space my hubby still has to go to both rooms every morning to get dressed for work because his clothes wont fit in our room :( ...haha yes I feel bad about this. I counted this morning, I have 72 pairs of shoes stuffed in my room!

      I also have things like  two drawers and bins full of heavy winter sweaters...I used to live in Blacksburg and New York City so I can see where I accumulated them but in SoCal they realllllly aren't necessary are they? Yikes. Sounds like I need a closet overhaul so my sweet hubby can live in our room :) I'll be overhauling and making some serious donations today while he's at work.... wish me luck! Maybe I'll get them looking like this......

P.S Im hoping my mom doesn't read this post because she always ALWAYS tells me the amount of clothes and shoes I own are " Sinful, just sinful"....welllllll then maybe we shouldn't have ransacked the J.Crew sale together :) ...hahaha she's a funny gal!

Happy Wednesday!

Here are a few things I am absolutely LOVING on this (finally) beautiful Wednesday.....

1. I'm loving that the rain is temporarily GONE!!! It has been cloudy and misty for about a week now and it was getting a little old :) BUT I did like the cooler temperatures that def made it feel like fall.... 

We can finally see the water again!

2. I'm loving our cute new neighborhood and how great it is to walk to the parks, beaches and so many great restaurants...even if it means we haaaaave to walk and get frozen yogurt every night :) It's starting to feel like home...

3. I'm loving that I got to spend 5 days with some best friends that flew alllll the way across the country to visit. I have known these gals for 15 years! Even though it was a little dreary we definitely made the best of our time... lots of cooking, wine, dancing and beach walking...doesn't get better than that

Lizzie exploring the caves.....

Protecting the beaches from the life gaurd stands... with our future home in the background obviously

Did I mention we did a LOT of eating.....

Engagement photo in the vineyards...haha not sure why we did this, keep in mind we were at a petting zoo/winery so anythings possible

 Road overlook on the way to Temecula wine country....

Apparently we were really cold in the wine cooler areas...

Walking the hundreds of steps down to thousand step beach..

Liz. me and Maria 

I had such a blast with my gals! Hubby was very sweet and accommodating with three girls running wild all over the house......it can't be easy coming home after a 12 hour day to old friends already deep in a bottle of wine..... AND for that reason plus a million more...

4. I'm loving my wonderful husband and how blessed I am to have him......

Top 2 Tuesday...

   

The cutest gal Taylor, over at The Undomestic Momma, always does a Top 2 Tuesday that tons of blogging gals link up with, so I thought I would join! 

This T2T is top 2 old, fav, photos...however old, doesn't matter...I cheated and did 3 :)

My apparently hippie MOH Kate and I as kids...it cracks me up because we are showing off  the sports watches we swore by, dandelion headbands and as always, holding hands! ( It's our signature pose haha) It's a miracle we don't have matching outfits on bc I swore we wore them everyday...

This literally makes me cry I laugh so hard every time I look at it! This was from my bridal luncheon the day before our wedding. Someone taking the pics said to jump so we all did casual, 1/2 jumps and then there is Kate rockin' the serious air! Wearing her bridesmaid robe of course. Plus, all of our faces are priceless...

When I lived in New York City J would fly in to visit a LOT....we really loved our NYC weekends together and were just talking about how we loved our time there. This was taken by our friend Megan while walking down a NY street. I absolutely LOVE it. In fact, my incredible and super sweet sister -in-law Katie had it made into a charcoal painting for us as a wedding gift and it now has a front and center locale in our new home! She even had them paint in the chrysler building in the background because it was a fav of mine and she replaced the ugly van with a taxi cab. The top of the cab even got monogrammed to say " East Goes West" and our wedding date...Its seriously my fav thing!

(excuse the weird glare)

WOW

It has been way too long friends! So much has happened and the last month has been a crazy, non-stop adventure to say the least. We got married, J started his job, we are settled in our house and everything is starting to feel like home! I even can drive places alone now without getting lost.. ( which is HUGE for me haha)... soooo new state, new life, new blog! Starting......now

In 65 days...

You can find me here.....

We newlywed Kennedys will have drinks in hand while sailing,  snorkeling, sunning and relaaaaaxing. I. can't. wait.